Clemson Univ. police make arrest in Howard's Rock case

Clemson University officials announced that an 18-year-old North Carolina man was arrested Friday in connection with the Howard's Rock vandalism case.

Campus police announced that Micah Rogers, of Pisgah Forest, was arrested and charged with malicious injury to real property and unlawful entry to enclosed places.

Capt. Eric Hendricks said Rogers jumped the fence to gain access to the rock, which sits atop the hill in Memorial Stadium. The football team rubs the rock before running down the hill at every home game.

Rogers appeared in Clemson University Municipal Court Friday morning and was released on $5,470 personal recognizance bond, Hendricks said.

Hendricks said as far as they know, Rogers has no affiliation with the university though his truck, determined to be a 1993 Ford F-250, had a Clemson sticker on it.

Frank Epps, Rogers' lawyer, said his client is admitting no wrongdoing. Epps said that when Rogers realized his truck was shown in surveillance video near the stadium, he turned himself in.

Part of the rock was chipped off and the protective casing destroyed the night of June 2, police said. On June 21, police released surveillance video of the white Ford truck arriving and leaving the stadium about 11 p.m. and said they received several tips in the case.

Hendricks said police have yet to recover the broken piece of the rock and the investigation is ongoing.

Epps said that no one else in Rogers' family is involved in this investigation.

Following the release of the video surveillance, Clemson University Police Chief Johnson Link said the video shows three people get out of the truck and they believe three people were involved in the vandalism, but Hendricks would not say anything about them on Friday other than that the investigation was active and ongoing.

Hendricks would not talk about a witness police said they have talked to and whether nor not that person would receive the $5,000 reward.

"On behalf of the athletic department and the football coaches and players, I want to thank the Clemson University Police Department, the State Law Enforcement Division and the Thirteenth Circuit Solicitor's Office for acting in a swift, thorough manner with regards to the vandalism to Howard's Rock," said Clemson Athletic Director Dan Radakovich. "We appreciate the efforts of everyone involved in this case."

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